We have to accept the fact that over the course of the past 15 years, few African movies have found their way into Annecy’s official selection. This program thus aims to examine this state of affairs.
From the Blackheart Gang’s astonishing and singular The Tale of How, Annecy 2007 special distinction, to Machini, the engaged and engaging proposal by Frank Mukunday and Trésor Tshibangu Tshamala, part of the Annecy 2020 competition, this program definitely communicates the variety and potentiality of a newly surfacing type of filmmaking.
Strong personalities have emerged, starting with Naomi Van Niekerk, 2016 "Jean-Luc Xiberras" Award for a First Film for An Ordinary Blue Monday, or Comfort Arthur, whose Black Barbie offers a reflection on identity, a precursor to numerous other subsequent works.
And to nicely book-end the program, the films Because You’re Gorgeous and Belly Flop titillate us with the popular prospects offered by the development of an African animation industry.
Marcel Jean
Artistic director of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival
CITIA